Why you’re going grey in your 20s

Seeing silver hairs growing from your head and your beard can be confusing and even scary if you haven’t even yet hit 30. While your peers are likely telling you that it’s related to stress, no scientific evidence has in fact linked stress to the appearance of grey hair.

There also isn’t any proven way to eradicate them – so either you have to keep dyeing your hair or start embracing your grey hair, much like TV personality Lungile Radu has, rather stylishly, done.

If you don’t understand why you’re going grey quite so soon, we’ve got you covered. A large part of it has to do with DNA – meaning, it’s hereditary.

But if none of the other young men in your family have gone grey early, then it could be an indicator of a bigger health issue. Greying has been associated with vitamin B12 deficiencies, untreated thyroid issues and anaemia – these have all been linked with loss of pigmentation.

If going grey was triggered by a rare illness, then there’s a chance that the greying may be reversed once the illness has been treated.

A lifestyle element has also been associated with grey hair. Several studies have found strong correlations between smoking and the onset of greying hair before the age of 30. One study, published in the National Centre for Biotechnology Information’s database, found that people who smoke are 2,5 times more likely to go grey before turning 30. Smoking has also been associated with baldness.

But there is a bit of good news. While going grey early may make you feel that your body is ageing a lot quicker than it should, this isn’t the case at all. It does not in any way indicate a shortened lifespan.